Boss says recruitment drive has improved his options when it comes to tactical formations.

David Artell has revealed that the club’s recruitment this summer was designed on players being able to play in different positions and within different formations to suit different opponents.

The Alex boss has already played different systems this season and says he will continue to do so, to try and get the best out of his personnel depending on the opposition.

Artell says that when recruiting players in the summer transfer window, the ability to play in different positions was a consideration.

The Crewe Alexandra manager told the club’s official website: “The first objective in recruitment is to bring in good players and I think we have managed to do that.

“We did consider their flexibility and ability to play in different systems when it came to our recruitment. We want to have a few strings to our bow and have that flexibility.

“Steve (Cotterill) asked after the game why we had played three at the back and asked questions. It was interesting to hear his thoughts as well.

“We did it last season away at Fleetwood without doing any work on it. We threw it on them a bit, to see how they would adapt and cope with it. There was a method and reason to that.

“We decided to play the last 10, 15 minutes against Wolves in pre-season with ten men and there was reasoning to that. It sure helped us at Hartlepool when we went down to 10 early on!

He added: “There is a bigger picture to it and we look at everything game specific. That test at Fleetwood was done last season to help us further down the line and the players that have come in have taken to that.”